This invention relates to an exercise device which comprises an elongated shaft or bar which in use is placed behind the nape of the neck and facilitates extension of the arms substantially horizontally in relation to the torso. The invention is more particularly concerned with an exercise device of the above general character with provision for gripping means at the ends of the elongated shaft or bar.
Prior art exercise devices, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,781 issued to John F. Kane, entail the use of a straight exercise bar or, as presented in the Kane Patent, an exercise bar with a yoke portion to fit around the nape portion of the neck of the exerciser. In either instance the arms, as substantially horizontally extended, are draped over the bar at the elbow or mid-portion of the forearm. The weight of the arm and the additional pressure of engagement during flexure and twisting of the torso while exercising operate to cut off the circulation of blood to the lower forearm. This circulatory constriction during exercise operates to numb the lower extremities of the arm and defeats the object of the excercise, i.e., increased blood circulation and muscle toning.